"... TO GIVE UNTO THEM BEAUTY FOR ASHES, THE OIL OF JOY FOR MOURNING, THE GARMENT OF PRAISE FOR THE SPIRIT OF HEAVINESS; THAT THEY MIGHT BE CALLED TREES OF RIGHTEOUSNESS,THE PLANTING OF THE LORD, THAT HE MIGHT BE GLORIFIED." ISAIAH 61:3

Monday, March 25, 2013

Most of you know by now, we're moving to Germany in about 4 months!
We'll be stationed in Bavaria -
400 miles to Venice,
500 miles to Paris,
600 miles to Rome.
Those distances will fly by with Europe's high speed trains.
Oh yeah, I've checked!!!
We have three years left in this mans army, and we intend to make the most of it!

Then retirement, right?
Bahahahaha!!!
Right around the time we're ending our first career, we'll have two girls heading for college and two more car payments to make.
Time for career number two.
But we'll cross that bridge when we come to it.

In the mean time, we've been prepping for the move.
We attended a briefing and received our information packet.

(Is a 90 minute brief funny to anyone else, or is it just me?)
We've started our language studies, and have started dividing up the household goods into three main categories;
1)Take with us
2)Put in storage
3)If this battered piece of furniture sees one more moving van, it will give up on principle and disintegrate on the spot.
(That would be the 'put it out of it's misery' category.)

And we need to apply for passports,
Rent storage units,Finalize plans for the pooch,Memorize a 50 page manual for German drivers licences,Ship the car over,Change to overseas phone plan,Research home school requirements,blah,blah,blah . . .

Another year of AWANA is coming to a close.
Both girls are working on their Timothy awards - no small feat considering they've had to spread the work over six churches in as many states.
We're very proud of them, of course!

We have a wonderful church here, but it comes with a few little glitches.
When it was started, it was in a welcoming residential area.
Skip ahead about 45 yrs, and now that area is the old part of town, while the new has pushed north.
It's not the first church we've attended that has employed undercover security.
But it is the first in which that security has actually been put to the test.
Because of several close calls in the last few months, we have now started using off duty CSPD officers during all services.
Land has been purchased across town for a new facility. Hopefully building will start in early 2014.
Anywho, there's that little bit of excitement.

With all the crazy going on, we have tried to hold on to some of the normal in our lives!
The last week of March is when we celebrate the girls' "New Birth" day.
Each year we have a nice dinner and a quiet evening as a family.
Love, love, love this special time!

Gave the girls "Not of This World" bracelets.

We're also keeping up our theme nights. Last week was Phantom of The Opera!

Candlelit evening with beautiful music!

Please keep us in your prayers. Lots to do before we leave.
We're so thankful for the time we've had in Colorado!
God has been good.

Saturday, March 16, 2013

Usually I'm a pretty happy person.
Traffic doesn't really bother me.
I've learned to handle crowds.
I try to take 'rude' with a grain of salt because I don't know what kind of day people have had.
And hey, this is the city.

But sometimes, just sometimes, things stick in my craw and I can't seem to shake them!
I stew for days over what I should have saidwanted to say.
Darn that "turn the other cheek" business!

Anyway, sometimes I have to let off a little steam.
Relieve the pressure.
Talk to myself like a crazy person!

So here goes. About six months worth of,
"Why I oughta!" . . .

*To the woman driving the minivan while simultaneously trying to wolf down one of those mega sized pixie stix - My bad! I never should have stepped off that curb while you were recklessly trying to blow through that stop light!

*To the guy in a hurry at Lowes who didn't want to wait his turn, and was apparently under the impression that I made my purchases for the sole purpose of ruining his day - "Same to you, Buddy!!!"

*To the kid who was disrespectful to the elderly cashier, cursing at her and causing quite a scene, then stomped out and tripped over the curb - BAHAHAHAHA!!!!

*To the salesmen knocking on my door at least three times a week - I do not want roofing, siding, lawn aeration, carpet cleaning, upgrades to my Internet, or a deeper understanding of Joseph Smith!

*To the guy walking the beautiful husky - Seriously?! How would you like it if I followed you home and let our dog take his evening sit-down in your yard?!

*To the cashier who was obviously having a bad day when my daughter asked the price of a stuffed animal - You snap at my little girl again, there will be no 'comment card' or speaking with a manager.
I will simply mess.you.up.
OK. No more of the negative.
There were also a few times an act of kindness slipped by without an opportunity to say thanks!

Monday, March 4, 2013

After thetheme night overload we had in December, we decided to take a month off.
January was wonderfully slow. No party planning, no blogging, and - let's be honest - a less than daily school schedule!
Then came February, and we were back in full swing.
Joey gave us the idea for our latest theme.
He and the girls have developed their own version of "pick it or kick it!"
After dinner, he'll grab the laptop and start playing the pop/rock hits of the 80's. Stuff that we listened to when we were in high school.
The girls are, of course, horrified.
"Kick it!"
"Hate it!"
"People actually liked this stuff?!"
Anyway, the music led to the fashions, the fashions led to the fads, and it all led to a blast of an 80's party!

Fortune tellers and Boom boxes, oh yeah!

Pac-man was the bomb

Oi! The eyeshadow!

Ditto the sweat bands!

"Ok mom, so basically if it's hideous now then it wascool in the 80's?"Yes. Yes it was.

Joe preppy - doing his best 'Blue Steel' pose!

Ok. So the tart isn't necessarily exclusive to the 80's,but it's the most colorful dessert you can find!